The Hanover Hawks (8-3) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first minute of the game then managed to grind out the clock at the end to seal a 35-33 Division 5 regional semifinal win over the visiting Dinwiddie Generals (6-5).

  On the opening possession of the game, Dinwiddie’s Quintaze Jackson fumbled the ball on the 29-yard-line where it was recovered by Hanover linebacker Blake Jones.

  Then on the Hawks’ first offensive play, freshman quarterback Sam Rogers (8-of-15 for 142 and 2 TDs) connected with Kenny Morris on a screen pass for a 7-0 lead.

  The Generals’ second possession ended no better than the first. On first down at their own 27, quarterback Chris Hall was intercepted by Hanover’s Aaron Phillips, who returned the ball 30 yards to give the Hawks a 14-0 lead 40 seconds into the game.

  “We started off, we made some mistakes early on,” said Dinwiddie head coach Billy Mills. “Dug a hole we just couldn’t come back from.”

  The two teams traded possessions and it was midway through the first before the Generals’ renowned deep passing game began to click.

  After fumbling away his first touch, Jackson came back strong to finish the night with six receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns. “He bounced back from that first mistake,” Mills said. “What a night he had. I’m very proud of him.”

  Set up by a 51-yard pass play from Hall to Jackson, the Generals scored on a quarterback keeper from nine-yards out, but a failed extra point made the margin 14-6.

  On Dinwiddie’s next possession, Hall connected with Drakar Harvell over the middle for 49 yards before he was stopped at the one. From there Hall and the Dinwiddie offense pushed the pile over the line for a score.

  Hall, (19-of-36 for 329 yards, 3 TDs) then found Jackson on a conversion pass to knot the game at 14.

  Hanover took the lead back eight minutes before the break when Dinwiddie failed to convert on fourth-and-five.

  On second-and-10 from his own 30, Rogers connected with Morris for 61-yards to the Dinwiddie nine. Two plays later, Hanover’s Deane Cheatham broke around right tackle to score from 7-yards out to put the Hawks up 21-14.

  Hanover then got the ball back with 1:10 in the half when senior linebacker Alex Peay raced in to block a Hall punt and Jones fell on the ball at the 37. Three plays later, Rogers found Danny Trsic open in the corner of the end zone for a 27-14 Hawks’ lead.

  Dinwiddie started the second half by holding Hanover to three-and-out then took over at midfield. Facing fourth-and-14 from the Hanover 40, Hall rolled to his left and found Jackson at the 20 from where he raced in for a score.

  A second missed extra point of the night kept the Generals from pulling any closer than 28-20.

  Then to add to Dinwiddie special team miscues, Hanover’s Xavier Crocker pulled in the ensuing kickoff, picked up a decleating block on a General from teammate Matt Pocta and ran the ball 80-yards for a touchdown and a 35-20 Hawks’ lead.

  However, the Hanover special teams repaid the favor when they executed four consecutive kickoffs, three of which resulted in penalties; two out of bounds and one off sides.

  When the Dinwiddie offense finally stepped on the field at the Hanover 46, it took only one play to answer the Hawks’ score when Hall connected with Jackson on a 46-yard TD pass. A failed two-point conversion kept the Hanover lead at nine, 35-26.

  With six minutes to play the Generals trimmed the lead further when they moved the ball down the field on 10 plays capped by a Hall to Harvell 4-yard TD pass. The drive was highlighted by a 19-yard Hall to Jackson pass on fourth-and-16. Hall then connected with Harvell on the conversion to pull Dinwiddie within three, 35-33.

  After being burnt by the Generals’ deep passing and held without a first down in the second half, Hanover came back on the field with 3:23 to play knowing they had to keep the ball out of Dinwiddie’s hands.

  “It was of ultimate importance,” said Hanover head coach Joshua Just. “We couldn’t let them get the ball back. They’re too good. They can score at any moment and we didn’t want that ball back in their hands at all.”

  So it was Cheatham and the Hawks’ offensive line that stepped up big when they were most needed. Facing third-and-one at midfield with 1:55 on the clock, Cheatham burst up the middle and kept pushing the pile until he was stopped 19-yards later.

  The Hawks then faced third-and-nine with :52.5 left in the game, and once again it was Cheatham, running over left tackle for 23 yards allowing the Hawks to ice the win.

  “They got wore down by Deane and he made plays when we needed it,” Just said.
  The victory sets up Hanover’s third consecutive trip to the Div. 5 regional championship game. On Friday at 7:30 they will host Petersburg, a 22-21 overtime winner over top-seeded Clover Hill. Hanover is undefeated in home playoff games.

Dinwiddie….....… 14 0 12 7 – 33
Hanover…….…...  14 14 7 0 – 35
H- Morris 27 pass from Rogers (Palmen kick)
H- Phillips 30 interception return (Palmen kick)
D- Hall 9 run (kick failed)
D- Hall 1 run (Jackson conversion pass from Hall)
H- Cheatham 7 run (Palmen kick)
H- Trsic 22 pass from Rogers (Palmen kick)
D- Jackson 40 pass from Hall (kick failed)
H- Crocker 80 kickoff return (Palmen kick)
D- Jackson 46 pass from Hall (conversion failed)
D- Harvell 4 pass from Hall (Harvell conversion pass from Hall)